Winner Is

Of everything I brought with me, my favorite possession during the burn was definitely my blender bottle. I actually got it for free from Soylent when I first started but they are just a few bucks on Amazon. (I took the mixer ball out before heading to Burning Man.)

I found that this was the perfect drinking vessel on playa. It doesn’t hold flavors between drinks. I dropped it many times and it never came open. It snaps easily to anything with a carabiner. And it rinses clean with no hassle.

Lessons

The two-tent strategy was a complete failure. If anything, it just made it hotter in the mornings, and it was way too big. I felt like I was hogging half the playa with my set up.

I’m very glad that I brought my own power in the form of a battery. I didn’t need any grid power the whole burn. I will certainly do this again, though I may get something bigger because….

I want to bring a swamp cooler next year. I have plans to build something very efficient and solar powered. 😀

Having a self-inflating mattress was nice, but I think I’d rather just use a cot. Topping off the mattress pressure every night was a hassle and made me feel like an obnoxious neighbor. Also it takes up a lot of space, and I don’t like the squishiness. I would prefer something firmer next time (Like a cot).

Next Time

As is a common theme on my blog, I feel like I brought too much stuff.

I think I will ditch the mattress next time, and both tents. Instead, I want to do either a Shiftpod 2 or some kind of stealth trailer. Everyone had a lot of positive things to say about Shiftpods, and I have never heard anyone complain. Also, the fact that they are impossible to find used tells me that their owners like them.